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When we found this 37 grille down in Nashville, it was dirty, tarnished, and missing one of the horizontal "twisty" strips.

Previously, I polished up the grille, and it came back wonderfully. But now it was time to make a new twisty strip. So, I used a piece of 1/16 x 3/4 aluminum flat stock that I cut down to 1/16 x 1/4 on a bandsaw. Then, I ground it down further to fit. So, about .06" x .20" was the final dimension. Then, I could slip it through the holes in the grille slats and easily bend the aluminum to match the original on the other side. The aluminum won't rust and is easily bent.

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There are many pictures and diagrams on this site showing various views of the engine, inside and out, as well as views and diagrams of the chassis, suspension, and brake and ignition and fuel systems, and more. There are also many pictures of complete cars similar to yours or just like it. Original advertising and dealer sales information is also available.

Cleaning the chassis will give you a good opportunity to look for loose or damaged parts. I'd drain the gas tank and look for evidence of leaks. You'll need a good, heavy duty 6 volt battery. Cheap batteries are no bargain, and neither are cheap battery cables. Your car will have a number of places that require oiling and greasing. I'd oil and grease all of them before doing anything else. Refer to the Literature Archive on this site for Owner's Manual, Shop manual, and more information on where and what to oil and grease, and much more information.

I wouldn't remove the body, since the paint and trim and fit look pretty good. Old hard grease on chassis parts can be scraped and chipped off. A heat gun can help soften it. The clumps of old grease may just indicate that the car was once well-maintained.
Wiring can be replaced. You can expect to have gas tank and fuel system issues. There is no need for disc brakes, 12 volt conversions, etc. The only way to assess the condition of the engine is to get it running and see what you have. The engine can be rebuilt if necessary. New water pumps are available. Fuel pump and carburetor kits are available or they can be exchanged for rebuilt ones.
It's likely that the radiator will at least need to be flushed. Money NOT spent on "fixing what ain't broke" can be put toward putting in a good original interior and getting the dash and instruments in good order and dealing with things like door and window rubber items and getting the brakes and steering in order.

I'd charge the battery fully before any further driving.
After charging the battery and driving several miles and observing some level of charge with the ammeter indicating correctly, you should be able to stop the car for 5 minutes or so and then be able to re start it with no issues.
If it still acts like the battery is low, you could have an ignition timing issue. (This assumes the starter is good and the battery and generator are working correctly and that all connections are good)
If the initial timing is too far advanced, a car will often start easily when cold , but fire against the starter when warmed up. This situation can mimic a battery or starter issue, when the actual problem is the timing.

A '41 120 is a great driving car with surprisingly good handling, ride, acceleration and braking. With the overdrive you can roll down the interstate at 70 no probs. As grody as the chassis looks, it would not be a bad idea to sling the the body up off of it and attend to all the mechanical details at once. That will pay the big dividend of avoiding a long stream of little breakdowns.

I would for sure though try to get it to run so you have an idea what you are dealing with. After you have oiled the cylinders, try to get a wrench on the front pulley and turn it two full revs to be sure the valves are not stuck down.

Mechanical parts are not a problem to obtain for these cars.

I agree with the advice to leave the brakes and electrics as original

I see a few details - please excuse if you already know these

The parking lights need the lenses, obviously, but also a cast metal piece that holds down the lens and little converging lenses that fit in a clip ahead of the bulb

The running board trim is missing. A set of short L shaped stainless pieces fit in the grooves on the leading edge. These are the same for 110 and 120. A stainless strip goes down the outside vertical edge. This is the same for 110, 120, and 1903 series 160. These three models share many parts (from the cowl back for the shorter 110)

You have the optional K steering wheel this is a desirable option

Other « usual suspects » for parts are Merritt, Chirco, Patrician. The interior plastic trim is reproduced but not cheap

The factory literature section of this site has a lot of good stuff

I think the original problem was the generator not being polarized after the re-wiring back in 2004. It was never re-polarized after that and the car never ran again until a week ago.

Based on what I’m seeing now, the only issue is the meter reading backwards which isn’t really a problem..

Steve, sorry - not sure how I got my wires crossed there! Senior issues! Chris.